Time Capsule

Time to do Mr. Scalzi's weekend assignment.  I have not attempted to do one yet and this one sounds pretty exciting.  He has asked us to create a time capsule for our great-great-great grandchild 100 years from now as he is preparing to do a report about us for school.  This is what I would toss in it:

1.  A completed, extended photo album of my family.

2.  My art box filled with all of my supplies (which is busting out right now.  I would also make sure that it has a couple of completed projects in the box.  Perhaps a quilt or a painted picture.  My art is so much of who I am.

3.  My CD carrier case that holds all of my CD's.  Music is so important to me.  It would be so interesting to see how music has changed.  I am wondering if the cycle of music would come around in 100 years or if any music would die out?!

4.  My spiritual materials which would be my Bible and my Catholic Catechism and my notes that I have taken over the past few years as I have taken the journey from being a Protestant to becoming a Catholic.  Being a Christian is the center of my being and I would love for that journey to be seen and known.

5.  Since it is September 10, there is alot in the news about September 11 and what is going on in the world and in this country.  I would probably grab a good newspaper or magazine and put it in there showing what is going on in the world today.

For extra credit, Mr. Scalzi asked us to put in something that would be completely puzzling.  Hmm...  Maybe I would put in a pair of panty hose as I sure do hope women aren't wearing those anymore in 100 years.....or perhaps that obsolete floppy disc!

 

I WON!

Woo Hoo!  I got an email today saying I won a $50 gift certificate for solving a puzzle on picture.com!  I am really excited about that!  I am not sure where I can redeem this certificate.  I went to the site and I couldn't find the answer to this question.  Hmm..   It sounds nice to spend someone else's money right now.  I hope it is someplace that is fun!  If anyone wants to try the puzzle it is in my favorite sites section.  I also got a notice in the mail that poetry.com is publishing another poem that I wrote.  Granted, I believe they publish alot of the poems that they receive, but it is nice to know that my words are floating around in some book out there.  I had one other poem published in one of their anthologies and had that same poem put on a disc with 29 other poems of spoken verse.  I suppose it is a little harder to get a poem put on a CD of spoken verse as I don't think they put out too many of those.  I think that is pretty cool.  I never buy their anthologies or CD's as I have the attitude of "If you like my words enough they can pay me" - not the other way around.  But I don't mind having my poems floating around somewhere. 

Chelsea is feeling quite a bit better.  I took her to the Emergency Room yesterday.  She had a battery of tests done and was put on a strong acid reducer stomach pill and that seemed to do the trick.  I suppose she inherited my weak stomach.  I have GERD and a hiatal hernia.  Poor thing.  She spent five days feeling terrible.  She was a very good sport about it, though. 

We have been getting rain and more rain the past couple of days and it has been killing my fibro.  It seems that everyone with fibro. has been having a hard time.  If anyone out there in J-Land has a good remedy or trick for fibro. let me know!  I feel like my muscles are so tight and every inch of my skin hurts.  My head is so full, too.  I guess the rain we are receiving is the remnants of Charley.  I am praying and praying that Hurricane Ivan does not decide to hit anywhere in the U.S.  I will be watching that closely. 

I am excited about the weekend assignment from Mr. Scalzi and have been thinking alot about it and will be doing it here in my journal tomorrow.  I hope that I will be reading it in other's journals tomorrow!  Hoping everyone stays well and dry!

Ugh

I'm feeling ucky today.  I have been in lots of pain.  I am sure a storm front is coming through.  My head has been under lots of pressure and I have been having to sit down alot to let the "dizzy spells" pass.  My mood is a bit down also.  I go through mini mood spells throughout the day usually.  Some days it is more pronounced than others.  I am what they call a rapid-cycling bi-polar with mixed states.  It seems I don't get a break.  I have been this way for over 30 years.  My best time seems to be in the wee hours of the night.  This is common for people with mood disorders.  I seem to relish the quiet of the evening when no one else is around and it is dark and I know the phone won't ring and no one will bother me.  My mood lightens and my brain stops buzzing.  My heart also lightens.  Even though I am on a cocktail of medications nothing can take away the insidious cycle of this disease.  The edge can be taken off most of the time, but I can still feel it's affects on my brain and body.  Alot of days I just push through in a "fake it 'til you make it" mode knowing that it will get better eventually.  The worst is when I am depressed for months at a time.  If you notice, I have a gap in my journal for about six months.  That is when I was in a deep depression.  I couldn't even get on the computer.  I can't even form sentences to write when I am feeling this way.  Some days (and I must admit it is most days), I have a fear in the back of my head that says, "When will the next depression hit?", "Will my medicine stop working anytime soon?" It is a small terror that is ever-present.  I know I can not live my life in fear.  I would never get anything done.  I must trust God.  It is a realistic fear, though, as I have spent more days depressed in my life than not -- many, many more.  I have spent many days away from loved ones in my pain and the hell of messed up brain chemicals.  Hospitalization for mental illness is the worst thing I have ever had to face in my life.  Trying to get well and pull myself out of it is a strength that I must get deep from within my soul and it takes every bit of energy and faith that I have.  I have dealt with alot of physical pain in the past ten years also and I would gladly go through physical pain than the painof mental anguish.  Not that I like either.  When I go through mental pain I forget my physical pain even exists.  Boy, this is getting pretty morbid, sorry.  Not sure where this is all coming from.  Just feeling a little down and scared.  Sometimes, one needs to share.

Chelsea went to a friend's house as she has been feeling sick for five days and is wondering if something in this home is making her ill.  Lovely.  So she left for two days to see if she feels better.  We have a hole in the kitchen roof that my landlord hasn't fixed yet and I fear she is getting sick from mold.  I am going to let the landlord "have it" when I see him tomorrow!!!!  Well, I am off here as I have a bunch of things to do.....Stay well all!

Picture of Me

Today has been a day of housework and getting caught up on things that I have neglected.  I slept in a bit today.  It didn't really matter because with fibro. it never feels like I get enough sleep and I wake up with pain.  The more I sleep the more my muscles "gel" into a position that is uncomfortable and the longer my body is without pain meds, so the sleeping in wasn't really a reward or a good thing.  Krissy took this picture of me.  She took it on the same occasion I took the picture of her that is displayed on the sidebar of her journal.  I kind of like it because it was a spur of the moment picture.  I have no make-up on which is unusual for me in a picture.  I was just playing around and didn't care how the picture looked.  Maybe these make the best pictures.  But the lighting isn't the best.  I had to pick it because, you see, I HATE getting my picture taken and there aren't many pictures of me floating around in this world.  

Chelsea and I have been pretty busy getting situated as room mates and getting our schedules and likes and dislikes understood.  It has really been wonderful having her here.  We went to a grange fair on Friday.  That really was fun!  I got a terrible sunburn from walking around and I lecture her about the sunscreen.  Shame on me!  The fair we went to is the only tented grange fair left in the world, actually.  It is in Penns Valley, Pennsylvania in Centre County.  It has been going on for 130 years and is going strong.  People put the tents in their will and it is impossible to even get one as they are passed down from generation to generation.  I saw so many cows, goats, pigs, quilts, pies, vegetables, wares of all kind, food galore, a parade, jewelry, rides and more rides, etc.  We were there for five or six hours and didn't even make a dent in the fair.  You would have to go every day to see it all.   That was alot of fun!

Oh, I am asking for prayers for those in Florida along the path of Hurricane Frances.  Seems it is going to hit my son and his family again.  They are staying at another resort. Please pray for everyone down there.  I also have a sister who lives down there.  This is all making my daughter's and my stomach churn.  May God take care of everyone down there.  Amen.  

 

 

 

Having Lots of Fun!!

Good day everyone!  Boy, I have been going, and going, and going...just like the Energizer Bunny!  My shunt must be working because I am actually keeping up with Chelsea and she is a teenager!!   I decided to include a picture of my Mama today as I wanted to honor her as a teenager.  I thought it might be interesting to compare her to my two teenaged children around the same age.  I asked my Mama what age she was when I first saw this picture and I was astounded to hear her tell me that she was just 17.   I have always thought that my Mama looked elegant and beautiful and graceful in pictures.   Her identical twin sister passed away in October of last year.   I am one of the few people that can pick out which one is my mother and which one is her twin sister, Chrissie, in pictures.  They were always posing in pictures together wearing the same outfits.  By their teenage years, though, they had their own styles and were not dressed alike.  This picture has me thinking.  I wonder where her sister was?  Well, more about my sweet Mama and her sweet twin later...

About Chels and her arrival... I greeted her at the airport with flowers and a couple of tears, goosebumps, and a big hug!  I had waited 12 years for this!!  Oh, to hold her and know that she was staying and not having a date to go back home to another state, another home, away from me and away from my arms.  I was elated!  She was greeted by me, my good friend Karen, her good friend, Ali (Alison) who is Karen's daughter, and her friend Erin.  We gabbed and laughed all the way home.  Chelsea's smile was so big and she had the darkest Florida tan because she had been staying at a resort which had been her home for about three weeks because of the hurricane.  We arrived home to balloons and a dinner prepared for her that were her requested and favorite foods.  We talked and shared pictures and stories and had a really nice time.  Chelsea talked alot about the hurricane and about how much she missed her two-year-old brother, Sammy.  He is cute as a button and they have grown very close.  He was the hardest for her to leave.  That really, really hurts my heart.  I will put pictures of Sammy in here sometime as he is just adorable and looks somewhat like Chelsea.  Our guests then went home and Chelsea and I spent a relaxing time talking, getting her settled in her new bedroom and spent some time on the computer.

The second day we visited my parents (her O'pa and O'ma).  We then went to my friend, Karen's, house and spent some time talking and roaming around on their land.  They live on a beautiful piece of land which was once a working farm.  It has beautiful trees, a barn, a running creek, a stone street you can walk on, an occasional deer or fox or whatever animal you might see, and  is just a great place to get away from it all.  It has concord grape vines and a swing, and, well, I just find something new there everytime I go!!  We picked up Ali and went shopping, shopping, shopping!!  Chelsea lost all of her belongings and most of her clothes and we are trying to replace what she needs.  So, you know teenagers and shopping!  It was alot of fun, though!  I knew that the articles we picked up were much needed!  Then we went grocery shopping.  And as the saying goes....Never go grocery shopping when you are hungry....and never tell a teenager to pick out anything they want! lol  Chelsea and I have totally different tastes in food.  I eat very little meat and like to eat nuts, fruit, vegetables, yogurt and cheese and very little junk food.  Chelsea likes junk food, meat, no vegetables, and lots of quick fix items and not too many fresh fruits or vegetables and milk products.  I think we are going to be eating seperate meals often.  Then we went home and Ali and Chels went out to a movie and out for a bite to eat at a restaurant while I caught up on a little housework and a little reading.  By this time my fibro. was really kicking in and my body was screaming from every pore.  Then Chels and Ali got home and Ali spent the night and they had a wonderful "girl time".

I am sitting here right now typing this as Ali and Chels were just picked up by Karen and they are spending some time over at Karen's house.  We are "sharing" the girls and as far as we are both concerned, we both have two daughters. Ali is just a great, great girl.  So, I have had a blast just being with Chels the past few days and having a house that is full of energy and smiles and noises and I am so happy that I have been able to keep up.  A year ago I would not have been able to.  Neurosurgery has saved my life and given me a life!  A year ago I would have been irritable by now.  A year ago I would have been in bed for three days after all of this activity.  A year ago I wouldn't have been able to make this journal entry.  I am so thankful that God, in His timing, and what beautiful timing He has, and in His wisdom, has given me His blessings and has brought my daughter to live with me.  Chelsea, thanks for choosing to make this your home at this point in time!  To all you out there in J-Land, may you all have a peaceful day!

Chelsea Is Arriving!!

YAY!!!  Chelsea is coming toay!!  In honor of her I am typing this in her favorite color and putting pictures in here to share with everyone today!!  I do hope you enjoy her smile and get a glimpse of the joy that she shares with her family and friends!  She is a wonderful young adult!  We have a little party waiting here for her with a dinner, flowers, cakes, balloons, etc. for her!!  Oh, I do hope we don't overwhelm her.  It is a muggy day out today, but I am sure she is used to that.  Poor Krissy is suffering asthma and can't leave her air-conditioned home, so those who are prone to praying, that would be appreciated :).  She goes through alot - Krissy does.  I am off to get ready for the day...Yoo-Hoo...

Pics of Matthew

These are the pics of  Matthew that I promised.  He still hasn't contacted me from his friend's house so he had just better call his Mama and give me the phone number where he is at!!!  I will be putting pictures of Chelsea in here this weekend and also a picture of my mom when she was the same age as Chelsea is now!!!  Cool, huh?!  Have a good evening all!